This application claims the benefit of Japanese Application No. 2001-364501 filed Nov. 29, 2001.
The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.
FIG. 9 is a schematic configuration diagram of a conventional ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100A illustrated in FIG. 9 comprises an ultrasonic probe (search unit) 1, transmitting/receiving means 2, signal processing means 3, ultrasonic signal processing means 50, a CRT device 30A, a keyboard (KB) 31, a liquid crystal display (LCD) device 40A, and a touch panel 42A provided over the front surface of a display portion of the LCD device 40A.
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100A may comprise a trackball 32 and a mouse 33, but they are not essential.
The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100A further comprises a printer device 60.
The ultrasonic signal processing means 50 has a cine memory 51, a digital scan converter (DSC) 52, image processing means 53, first control means 54, and a status table 55. The ultrasonic signal processing means 50 further has second control means 56, a touch sensor interface (I/F) 57, and graphic processing means 58.
The CRT device 30A, LCD device 40A and KB 31 are disposed as exemplarily shown in FIGS. 2(A) and (B).
The CRT device 30A is placed above an operation panel of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and is disposed at a position facing a physician or a technician (referred to as an operator hereinbelow) who sits down in front of the operation panel of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100A and operates the ultrasonic probe 1 on a subject. The CRT device 30A displays information as exemplarily shown in FIG. 10. Details of the display illustrated in FIG. 10 will be described later.
The touch panel 42A is made of a transparent piezoelectric sheet, through which the items displayed on a display screen of the LCD device 40A can be viewed. A press of the touch panel 42A by a finger, a pencil or the like generates a voltage at the pressed portion. By detecting the portion generating the voltage as two-dimensional coordinates by position detecting means (not shown), the pressed portion in the display screen of the LCD device 40A can be detected. Thus, the LCD device 40A and touch panel 42A are used as interactive means for the operation of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.
The LCD device 40A allows the operator to view the displayed items, and to issue commands for the operation of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus via the display portion of the LCD device 40A. Accordingly, the LCD device 40A is disposed within arm""s reach of the operator on the operation panel of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus below the CRT device 30A.
The KB 31 is used to supplement the interactive operation conducted on the LCD device 40A and touch panel 42A. For example, the KB 31 is used in selecting the mode of operation of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.
The trackball 32 and mouse 33 are mainly used as pointing (selecting) means for conducting selection of an item displayed on the CRT device 30A. For example, the trackball 32 is used in selecting a point displayed on the CRT device 30A, and the mouse 33 is used in verifying items displayed on the CRT device 30A.
Now the operation of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100A will be generally described.
After the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100A has been activated and the operator has designated several operation conditions, the transmitting/receiving means 2 drives the ultrasonic probe 1 to emit ultrasound from the ultrasonic probe 1 toward the subject. The ultrasonic probe 1 is grabbed by the operator and is abutted against a predefined portion of the subject. The ultrasonic probe 1 detects ultrasound reflected from the subject, converts the ultrasound into corresponding electric signals, and outputs the signals to the transmitting/receiving means 2. The transmitting/receiving means 2 receives the electric signals detected by the ultrasonic probe 1 and sends them to the signal processing means 3.
The signal processing means 3 conducts signal processing including amplification, filtering and the like on the signals received from the transmitting/receiving means 2, and sends the processed signals to the cine memory 51 in the ultrasonic signal processing means 50.
The cine memory 51 is a memory that can store a plurality of ultrasonic images, and stores the ultrasonic receive signals supplied from the signal processing means 3 in order of data input for every ultrasonic image in time order.
The digital scan converter (DSC) 52 reads ultrasonic image data from the cine memory 51 in response to a control command from the first control means 54, and outputs the data to the image processing means 53.
The image processing means 53 conducts processing for displaying image data output by the DSC 52 and status data read out from the status table 55 on the CRT device 30A following the control command from the first control means 54.
The status table 55 stores information indicating the output status, for example, output completed, output in progress, or output waiting, of the ultrasonic image data in the cine memory 51.
FIG. 10 shows an exemplary screen displayed on the CRT device 30A.
In FIG. 10, a display screen 200 of the CRT device 30A is comprised of an image display region 202 in which a result of scanning by the ultrasonic probe 1 is displayed as an image, an output status message display region 204, and a cine gauge display region 206.
The output status message display region 204 displays the output status, for example, xe2x80x9cOutput completedxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cOutput in progressxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cOutput waitingxe2x80x9d.
The cine gauge display region 206 displays a status among xe2x80x9cOutput completedxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cOutput in progressxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cOutput waitingxe2x80x9d with respect to an image read out from the cine memory 51.
While the CRT device 30A displays ultrasonic images, the LCD device 40A and touch panel 42A serve as interactive means for the operation of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100A.
FIG. 11 exemplarily shows items displayed on the LCD device 40A as graphics and messages from the graphic processing means 58 under a control command of the second control means 56, for issuing an operation command to the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100A.
The B-mode Select/Show portion 301 is for indicating that an ultrasonic cross-sectional image produced by scanning the interior of the subject with an ultrasonic beam, obtaining reflection signals, and brightness-modulating the reflection signals on the screen of the CRT device 30 is displayed in the image display region 202 of the CRT device 30A, and for issuing a command to select that mode.
The D-mode Select/Show portion 302 is for indicating that velocity information on blood flow etc. obtained by utilizing the Doppler effect of ultrasound is displayed as an image in the image display region 202 of the CRT device 30A, and for selecting that mode.
The M-mode Select/Show portion 303 is for indicating that the temporal position change of a reflecting source along an ultrasonic beam direction interpreted as a temporal change of reflection waves is displayed in the image display region 202 of the CRT device 30A as a motion curve, and for selecting that mode.
The Single/Dual Select/Show portion 304 is for indicating whether in a state for displaying an image corresponding to one time point (or time span) or for displaying images corresponding to different time points side by side on the screen, and issuing a command for these operations.
The Loop/One-way Select/Show portion 305 is for indicating whether in a state for repeatedly returning the display to the top image displayed after displaying the last cine image or for terminating the display after one-way display of the images in time order, and for issuing a command for these operations.
The Normal/Cine Select/Show portion 306 is for indicating whether the display mode is in a normal display mode or in a cine mode, and for issuing a command for these operations.
The Freeze/Release Select/Show portion 307 is for indicating that image display refresh is temporarily suspended (frozen) during cine display, and image display refresh is resumed by releasing the freeze, and for issuing a command for these operations.
The Rewind Select/Show portion 308 is for selecting an operation of rewinding images in reverse time order while the Rewind Select/Show portion 308 is pressed during freeze, and freeze-displaying the image reached at the time of releasing the Rewind Select/Show portion 308.
The Jog Dial Select/Show portion 309 is for indicating a state in which a plurality of images stored in the cine memory 51 are manually switched in response to xe2x80x9cBackxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cForwardxe2x80x9d operations of the operator, and for issuing a command for these operations.
The Save Select/Show portion 310 is for indicating that an image displayed at the time of pressing the Save Select/Show portion 310 during freeze is saved, and for issuing a command for this operation.
The Recall Select/Show portion 311 is for indicating that an image saved by pressing the Save Select/Show portion 310 is recalled and displayed, and for issuing a command for this operation.
The Output Select/Show portion 312 is for indicating that data displayed on the CRT device 30A is output to the printer device 60, and for issuing a command for this operation.
The two-dimensional position of a pressed portion in a touch panel 42A is detected by a touch position detection circuit (not shown), and is input to the second control means 56 via the touch sensor interface (I/F) 57. The second control means 56 recalculates the position information detected by the touch position detection circuit into a position in the LCD device 40A, and detects a pressed position corresponding to a Show position on the LCD device 40A.
When the screen exemplarily shown in FIG. 11 is displayed on the LCD device 40A, the operator presses a Show portion on the LCD device 40A via the touch panel 42A over the front surface of the LCD device 40A; then, the pressed portion is detected by the touch position detection circuit, and is input to the second control means 56 via the touch sensor I/F 57. Thus, the second control means 56 can detect that a position corresponding to a Show portion of the LCD device 40A is pressed. Therefore, the use of the touch panel 42A allows the operator to directly press a Show portion of the LCD device 40A through the touch panel 42 with the finger, for example, to conduct a desired operation while viewing the display screen of the LCD device 40A, in a manner similar to the operation of position selection by the keyboard, trackball or mouse.
Since the pressing of the touch panel 42A over the front surface of the LCD device 40A is more direct than position selection using the keyboard, trackball or mouse, the position selection can be done more accurately and the operation is easier. Moreover, the display on the LCD device 40A is easy for the operator to comprehend, thus providing convenience. Furthermore, the number of keyboards can be reduced.
Although the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100A having high interactivity has been provided by using the LCD device 40A provided with the touch panel 42A and the CRT device 30A with their functions separated as described above, there is a need to further improve ease of operation. Typical examples of this need will be described below.
There is a need to obtain a more detailed image by magnifying a certain portion, for example, a heart portion, in an image displayed in the image display region 202 illustrated in FIG. 10 of the CRT device 30A. For example, it would be convenient if such a magnified image could be displayed on the LCD device 40A while displaying an image in the image display region 202 of the CRT device 30A. Such a need has existed.
Moreover, there is a need to measure the size of the heart, for example, in the magnified image.
However, since the conventional LCD device 40A is provided mainly for the purpose of interactive operations, the graphic processing means 58 is not capable of processing for ultrasonic cross-sectional image display or zoom-in display. Thus, the existing LCD device 40A cannot achieve such image display.
If, in the existing apparatus configuration, signals processed by the image processing means 53 that performs display processing for the CRT device 30A could be output to the LCD device 40A and displayed on the LCD device 40A in a way similar to display by the CRT device 30A, only a switch for redirecting the signals output by the image processing means 53 from the CRT device 30A to the LCD device 40A would be needed. However, display data for the LCD device 40A and those for the CRT device 30A are quite different, and therefore, even if the processed signals from the image processing means 53 should be output to the LCD device 40A by redirecting the signals by the switch, the desired image could not be displayed.
To enable the LCD device 40A to conduct such display, means similar to those for allowing the CRT device 30A to conduct display, for example, circuits such as the cine memory 51, DSC 52, and image processing means 53, are needed in addition to the graphic processing means 58, and also the processing functions of the first control means 54 should be added to the second control means 56. However, this complicates the configuration of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and raises its price.
Moreover, greater flexibility in use mode is desired because two display devices, i.e., the CRT device 30A and LCD device 40A, are available. However, despite the provision of the two display devices, i.e., the CRT device 30A and LCD device 40A, this need cannot be easily met because the two are designed for different purposes.
It is therefore an object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that can satisfy the aforementioned needs, and improve ease of operation.
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present invention comprises, as a basic configuration, arithmetic control/signal processing means for conducting arithmetic control and signal processing for ultrasonic diagnosis, and controlling display processing corresponding to at least first and second display modes; storage means for storing ultrasonic reflection signals detected by an ultrasonic probe; first display means capable of displaying graphics, messages and images; second display means capable of displaying graphics, messages and images; position detecting means for detecting a selected position in a display portion of said second display means; first display processing means for conducting signal processing of the graphics, images and messages displayed on said first display means; and second display processing means for conducting signal processing of the graphics, images and messages displayed on said second display means.
For the first and second display means, a CRT device, a liquid crystal display device or the like, can be arbitrarily combined for use.
The position detecting means is a touch panel, for example.
The pointing means is a keyboard, a trackball, and a mouse, for example.
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, in the first display mode, said arithmetic control/signal processing means (a1) drives said first display processing means to display on said first display means xe2x80x9cultrasonic image information and its output status informationxe2x80x9d based on the ultrasonic reflection signals stored in said storage means, and (a2) drives said second display processing means to display on said second display means xe2x80x9cultrasonic processing, operation, status message/graphic display informationxe2x80x9d not containing said xe2x80x9cultrasonic image information and its output status informationxe2x80x9d, and conducts task processing for ultrasonic diagnosis in response to an operation detected by said position detecting means; and in the second display mode, said arithmetic control/signal processing means (b1) drives said first display processing means to display on said first display means xe2x80x9cultrasonic processing, operation, status message/graphic display informationxe2x80x9d not containing said ultrasonic image information and its output status information, and (b2) controls said second display processing means to display on said second display means said xe2x80x9cultrasonic image information and its output status informationxe2x80x9d based on the ultrasonic reflection signals stored in said storage means, and conducts processing in response to a position detection signal detected by said position detecting means.
In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, in the first display mode, said arithmetic control/signal processing means (aa1) drives said first display processing means to display on said first display means xe2x80x9cultrasonic image information and its output status informationxe2x80x9d based on the ultrasonic reflection signals stored in said storage means, and (aa2) drives said second display processing means to display on said second display means xe2x80x9cultrasonic processing, operation, status message/graphic display informationxe2x80x9d not containing said xe2x80x9cultrasonic image information and its output status informationxe2x80x9d, and conducts task processing for ultrasonic diagnosis in response to an operation detected by said position detecting means; and in the second display mode, said arithmetic control/signal processing means (bb1) drives said first display processing means to display on said first display means xe2x80x9cultrasonic processing, operation, status message/graphic display informationxe2x80x9d not containing said ultrasonic image information and its output status information, and inputs an operation command corresponding to an operation via pointing means, and (bb2) drives said second display processing means to display on said second display means said xe2x80x9cultrasonic image information and its output status informationxe2x80x9d stored in said storage means, and conducts processing in response to a position detection signal detected by said position detecting means.
In accordance with a third aspect of the present invention, in the first display mode, said arithmetic control/signal processing means (aa1) drives said first display processing means to display on said first display means xe2x80x9cultrasonic image information and its output status informationxe2x80x9d based on the ultrasonic reflection signals stored in said storage means, and (aa2) drives said second display processing means to display on said second display means xe2x80x9cultrasonic processing, operation, status message/graphic display informationxe2x80x9d not containing said xe2x80x9cultrasonic image information and its output status informationxe2x80x9d, and conducts task processing for ultrasonic diagnosis in response to an operation detected by said position detecting means; and in the second display mode, said arithmetic control/signal processing means (aa1) drives said first display processing means to display on said first display means said xe2x80x9cultrasonic image information and its output status informationxe2x80x9d based on the ultrasonic reflection signals stored in said storage means, and (aa3) drives said second display processing means to display on part of said second display means said xe2x80x9cultrasonic processing, operation, status message/graphic display informationxe2x80x9d not containing said xe2x80x9cultrasonic image information and its output status informationxe2x80x9d, and to display on another part of said second display means information identical or similar to said xe2x80x9cultrasonic image information and its output status informationxe2x80x9d displayed on said first display means, and conducts processing according to a position selection on said displayed image detected by said position detecting means.
Preferably, the processing in response to a position detecting signal detected by said position detecting means is zoom processing.
Preferably, the processing in response to a position detecting signal detected by said position detecting means is measurement processing.
According to the present invention, several use modes desired in an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus can be implemented while improving ease of operation by effectively using two display devices.